Cork City see off 10-man Longford Town to go six points clear
Cork City's Conor Drinan, celebrating here with Fiacre Kelleher after scoring against Bray, was Cork City's first goalscorer against Longford Town. Picture: ©INPHO/Nick Elliott
It wasn’t the most impressive Cork City performance, again. But it was a win, again. The Leesiders have – for the most part – gotten the results in games this year where they’ve been far from their best, and Saturday evening’s trip to Longford was another to add to that list.
The 2-0 win at Bishopsgate arrived courtesy of second-half goals from Conor Drinan and Darragh Crowley, but manager Barry Robson certainly felt it was another First Division evening where they could have won by more.
“We were comfortable in the game, but we've still got that wee thing that I keep mentioning – we need to put these chances away,” Robson said after the game. “I thought the subs came on and made a difference to us tonight, I thought they came on and did really well.
“I thought we got a bit spooked first half when they changed shape. I think we found the pitch difficult to move the ball as quick as we wanted to on that surface, but we got the job done and without probably being really good.
“I think sometimes it can be difficult coming up against 10 men, but it was a professional performance without us being really thrilling and we should have scored a couple more goals.
“We need to see a bit more of that, it was good to score a goal from a set play tonight because we've been getting lots of first contacts and without getting more goals as we should have.”
Drinan’s header in the 50th minute put City ahead, as he rose to meet Greg Bolger’s free kick. The visitors hit for a second goal with the last kick of the game, after Longford goalkeeper Kian Moore had come up for a corner as the hosts fought to equalise.
“We changed the shape a few times, tried to create openings and I thought our best spell in the game was probably the first 15-20 minutes after the second half,” Robson admitted. “When we hit the post, Seani went through one-on-one, Keats went through one-on-one, and we missed those chances, and we could have put the game to bed and had a really comfortable night.”
Seani’s one-on-one opportunity was blocked in the 59th minute, before AJ Bridge then picked up the loose ball and squared for Darragh Crowley, whose shot cannoned off the upright.
It wouldn’t be the only time City hit the woodwork, they would do so again in the 84th minute, after a really bizarre passage of play.
Osaze Irhue slipped on the edge of his own box, and Matthew Murray intervened to take possession. Murray then tripped – just before unleashing a shot – but Drinan came in for an effort which Kian Moore saved onto the crossbar. The rebound fell straight for Keating who, remarkably, failed to the hit the gaping net from a couple of yards out.
In the interim, though, Longford had been threatening. Andy Paraschiv was their brightest spark all evening, and the catalyst for their best opportunity in the second half when he broke through down the flank and squared for Pharrell Manuel, who set up Dean Williams for the 67th minute blocked shot.
From there City killed the tempo for a period, holding possession and halting their opponents momentum, though Jake Hough tested in the 80th minute with a strike from just outside the box that Brann caught cleanly.
City’s defensive patience would eventually yield a second goal, with the final kick of the game. Cillian Murphy won possession after Longford’s last-ditch corner delivery was cleared, sent Darragh Crowley through, and he finished to the open net with ease.
But it had been a first half that followed much of the same failings that City have faced this season. All of the possession and all of the chances, but no end product.
City’s life had even been made easier when Longford were reduced to 10 men, Sultan Adenekan shown a straight red card for a challenge on Crowley, with only 16 minutes having been played.
But still they struggled to drum up opportunities in that first 45. Josh Fitzpatrick was threatening again down the flank, but struggled with the delivery of the final ball, and was pulled off at the break.
Longford were wasteful with their limited chances, too. And once Drinan’s goal arrived early in the second half, they were left chasing a game they lacked the quality to win.
Moore; Irhue, Omorehiomwan, McCarthy, Hough; O’Brien, Adenekan; Manuel (Campbell 79), Doran (Ugbesia 79), Paraschiv; Williams (Murtagh 71).
Brann; Nevin, Feely, Kelleher (Lyons 54), Drinan; Crowley, Bolger (Bridge 54); Fitzpatrick (Murray HT), Murphy, Mpongo (Keating 54); Maguire (Kiernan 75).
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